4 Ways to Tune into What your Body Needs for Nourishment
Do you notice when you’re feeling hungry or full? Is this something that you listen to or ignore? Food can bring so much to our lives. From the most basic of giving us what we need to survive, to bringing people together, and even bringing comfort. While food is a necessity for survival, it can also serve us in many more ways.
Our relationship with food is dependent on many factors. Each person is different depending on their unique experiences. At the same time, we can find some common themes as to what may foster a healthy relationship with food and what can hinder it. As an infant or young toddler, a relationship with food is often intuitive and one that we hope to cultivate. They often eat when they’re hungry, find pleasure in eating what they like, and stop eating when they’re satisfied. They may enjoy trying new things or steer clear after trying something they don’t like. For them, it is simple. There’s no judgment, only trust in their wants and needs. As we grow older, this begins to shift. We are able to interpret messages relayed from caregivers, friends, and the media. We begin to feel rewarded when we eat certain things and possibly punished when eating others. Our options expand, yet there may also be guilt or shame when there’s a desire to eat something frowned upon by others. There can also be rebellion when the pressure felt to eat a certain way feels too strong. We end up feeling guided by others and these external messages and can quickly learn to disconnect from our own intuitive process. At that point, it can become challenging to know what signals the body is offering. They have been shut down so many times that it is nearly impossible to reconnect to these basic needs.
If you too have found yourself disconnected from the signals your body offers when feeling hungry, full, or even no longer sure about which foods you actually enjoy and don’t like, then it’s time to slow down and find ways to reconnect.
Here are 4 ways to tune into what your body needs for nourishment:
Slow Down: Do you remember what it was like to eat a meal without distractions? It can be challenging for some of us. With so many options for distractions, it’s easy to pick up the phone, turn on the tv, or multitask while eating. While this may ease the mind temporarily, it does have negative consequences. We digest food better when we are paying attention and connecting with the act of eating. We are also much better able to listen to our body’s cues for hunger, enjoyment, dissatisfaction, and satiation. It’s quite possible to be so distracted that you can’t even recall what your meal tasted like by the time you’re done. By doing this, you miss out on the emotional and sensory process of eating. This may be intentional if there are feelings of guilt or shame present when eating. If this is the case, it’ll be important to process these feelings either through expressive arts like writing or drawing, connecting with a trusted friend or family member, or speaking with a therapist. As mentioned previously, our relationship with food is largely impacted by many factors. To heal this relationship and find enjoyment in eating again, it may take effort in processing this and finding ways to healthily cope with the discomfort that is accompanying meal time.
Listen: In the early years of our lives, we are great at listening to what we need. We feel something and we respond to it, either by requesting help or giving ourselves what we need. As we grow older, we begin to ignore these signals. We aren’t able to immediately respond to each need as it arises, but we also don’t need to ignore it all together. It’s important to find a way to tune in to these needs and this can start with simply acknowledging that they exist. When you see food and your mouth begins to water, acknowledge that. If your stomach growls out of hunger, pay attention to it. When you begin to feel full, notice the sensation. This can be applied to hunger and satiation cues, but also can be applied to many other feelings. When we practice listening to our feelings, cues, and needs, we are much better able to take care of ourselves both physically and emotionally. Pay attention to how you are feeling and the signals your body is offering. Is it asking for sleep, water, food, comfort, connection, motivation…? The list is endless. You may not be able to meet all these needs right away. Some feelings may linger when they can’t be tended to, and while this is true, simply hearing them and validating them is in and of itself healing. As you begin to heal your relationship with food, you must first begin with healing your relationship with yourself.
Feel: It’s time to take a break from the endless cycle of thoughts you may experience. Eating is not intended to be an intellectual process. If you notice yourself sitting down at a meal and performing mathematical calculations or analyzing all of the components of a certain food, I would imagine that you are feeling pretty disconnected from the sensory experience of eating. It’s hard to relax and enjoy the meal when you’re calculating numbers or measuring nutritional intake. It’s time to reconnect with the act of eating. It’s time to enjoy the smells, textures, and tastes of your food again. It’s time to feel those signals from your body and respond by giving yourself a meal that fully nourishes both your mind and body. With this being said, food is not intended to be a solution for emotional distress. Emotional healing does not take place by eating or restricting. What I’m saying is that the act of eating itself can feel good and that is purposeful. That is meant to be enjoyed. There is a time and a place for assessing nutritional needs and emotional needs. This can be best supported with the combination of a dietician who values intuitive eating and a therapist with knowledge in the same.
When you are going about your day and taking breaks to eat a snack or a meal, this is the time to slow down and allow your senses to be filled. There will be plenty of time for igniting the analytical part of your brain later. This is your time to unwind. Soak it up to the best of your ability.
4. Grace: If you have felt disconnected from your body’s signals or the act of eating, it’s going to take time to develop a new relationship with yourself and with food. Allow yourself grace in the process. You are not supposed to excel at anything when you begin. It may feel uncomfortable or downright painful when you start. This is normal and okay. It won’t last forever. If you are committed to putting in the effort, you will be able to experience a better relationship with meal time. You get multiple times a day to practice this and grow as you do. Some meals might just click and feel satisfying. Others may feel uncomfortable to sit through. Some days might allow for more time to slow down, while others are fast paced and hard to keep up with as it is. This is a practice that requires your attention, yet does not need to look the same way every day. It’s not about performance. It’s about growing to better understand yourself, your needs, and enjoyment in the act of taking care of yourself.